Digit indicator



Aung. 7, g L.. p.. CRCSMAN ET AL DIGIT INDICATOR 5 Sheeis-Sheet l Filed June 19, 1948 Aug 7, w51 L. P, @ROSMAN ET AL. 2563,31@

DIGIT INDICATOR Filed June 19, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheel. 2

IN VEN TORS LORING P. CROSMAN WILLIAM H. HENRICH B MMSQQW @gd/561mm,

ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 7, 1951 L. P. CROSMAN ET AL DIGIT INDICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 19, 1948 NVENTORS LORING P. CROSMAN WILLIAM H. HENRCH M 5 fQw juf/Li ATTORNEYD.

Aug, 7, WSE n.. P. @Rosh/AN ET AL DIGIT INDICATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 19, 1948 Aug. 7, 1951 1 P. cRosMAN ET A1. 2,553,102

DIGIT INDICATOR Filed June 19, 1948 j 5 sheets-sheet 5 t, r2 1:3 t4 t5 ,t6 t7 '819 JNVENToRs ORING- P. CROSMAN WILLIAM H. HENRICH atented ug. 7, 195i DIGIT INDICATOR Loring P. Crosrnan, Darien, and William H. Henrich, East Norwalk, Conn., assgnors to Remington Rand Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 19, 1948, Serial No. 33,947

l 4 Claims. l

This invention relates to digit indicators of the gaseous discharge type and has particular reference to small neon lamps used as indicators in conjunction with electronic calculator systems. This application contains matter divided from a copending application, Serial No. 18,782 filed April 3, 1948, and now Patent No. 2,512,851, issued June 27, 1950. v

As used throughout the specification, the term unbalanced trigger refers to a trigger stage comprising two electronic triodes with circuit components so adjusted that the circuit is stable only when one triode is conducting and the second triode is non-conducting. Applying an actuating pulse to such a stage momentarily switches conductivity and generates a pulse, the duration of which depends upon the circuit constants. This type of circuit is also called a oneshot multivibrator and a flip-nop.

Mechanical calculators and some electronic calculating devices generally accumulate digit values in conformity with the decimal or denary system of notation; that is, numbers are received in one demoninational order up to nine, then the addition of a unit value carries or enters a one in the next higher order and returns the iirst order value to zero. Such a system has a radix of ten.

In order to save tubes and equipment, the present invention uses two accumulators for each denominational order, one with a radix of two and the other with a radix of ve. The radixof-two accumulator carries every second actuation to the radiX-of-ve accumulator and the radix-of-iive accumulator carries every fifth actuation to the radix-of-two accumulator in the next higher order of the denary system.

Indicator lamps have been used in calculator circuits to indicate the presence of current and in denary systems to indicate the value of the number in an accumulator. The present invention uses neon indicator lamps connected to the radix-of-two stages and the radix-of-flve stages in such manner as to decode the values accumulated therein and show the result in the denary system.

It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide an improved indicating lamp circuit which will decode and translate the values received from a coded system and indicate their value in the denary system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of decoding and indicating which consumes a small amount of power and uses little space for installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a system of value indication which has negligible time lag.

The invention comprises a series of ten gaseous discharge lamps, each lamp having two electrodes and each of the ten lamps designatingl a digit from G to 9, inclusive. One electrode of each lamp is connected to the radix-of-two accumulator and the other electrode is connected to the radix-of-five accumulator.

An alternate form of the invention comprises a series of ten gaseous discharge lamps, each lamp having two electrodes and each of the ten lamps designating a digit. One electrode of each lamp is connected to a battery or other source of potential supply and the other electrode of each lampis connected to the midpoint of a voltage divider, the ends of which are connected to the radix-of-two accumulator and the radixof-iive accumulator.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing how the various stages are connected.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of connections of part of the pulse or generating system.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of connections of the remaining part of the pulse system.

Fig. 4 is a diagram which indicates how Figs. 2 and 3 are to be combined to show the complete system.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of connections similar to Fig. 3 but showing an alternate manner of connecting the neon indicator lamps.-

Fig. 6 is a series of graphs showing the character of the pulses generated and produced in various parts of the circuit.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the entire system will be generally described, neglecting at present the detailed features of the invention. A starting key I0 is connected to a preliminary pulse generator II which generates a sharp pulse when the key contacts are made. Next an unbalanced trigger stage I2 transforms the sharp pulse into a broad fiat-topped pulse of the same magnitude and duration as the pulses which later are generated by the multivibrator. The unbalanced trigger stage I2 also controls an electronic 4. switching stage I3 which turns a multivibrator j the number to one (Fig. 6--f). The output of this divider is fed back over conductors I'I and I8 to the switching stage to turn off the multi- Vibrator when the single pulse ends.

During the process, above described, of generating a single starting pulse and four oscillation pulses, there are made available at various portions of the circuit, single, double, and quadruple pulse trains which may be used singly or in combination to produce sharp pulse trains to count from one to nine. To this end three buffer stages 2l), 2l and 22 are provided, also a mixer stage E3 and an inverter 24.

The pulses which are provided from the above described circuit are indicated graphicallyr in Fig. 6 where voltages are plotted against time. The first pulse, started by the actuation of key i3, and transferred by conductor 25, is shown graphically by a sharp negative pulse 2S which occurs at the start of the operation cycle. The

output of the unbalanced trigger stage i2 is a flat-topped pulse 2l' which is tapped by a buffer cathode follower stage 2l and delivered to a keyboard switching assembly 28. The output of the control switching stage I3 is shown in Fig. G-c as a long nat-topped wave which must attain its maximum value before the multivibrator can function.

The graph of the multivibrator pulses .3l-d shows the square topped waves usually produced by such a circuit. Waves 32 and 33 (Fig. G-e and f) produced by the two frequency divider circuits are shown in their time relation to the starting pulses, indicating that the voltage fall in the applied wave is the controlling actiony which switches conduction in each divider stage.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the keyboard 2S contains ten manually settable switches which designate and control the number and value of the pulses transmitted to an accumulator circuit. If the number to be transmitted is even, a series of pulses is Vapplied to the radiX-of-ve stages, the number of pulses being equal to half of the nurnber to be accumulated. If the number to be accumulated is one, the keyboard switching circuit sends a single pulse to the radiX-of-two stage. If the number to be accumulated is odd and greater than one, a single pulse is sent to the radix-of-two stage and one or more pulses are sent to the radix-of-ve stages.

The assembly of counter stages may be connected in parallel with other stages for counting, carrying, 01 shifting, depending upon the problem to be solved.

Having now described the general system of pulse generation and counting, specic reference is made to Figs. 3, 5 and 6 which show the counter stages in detail and show two forms of neon lamp indicator circuits.

For a detailed explanation of the pulse generation circuits shown in Fig. 2, reference is made to the above mentioned copending application, Serial No. 18,782 filed April 3, 1948. The generating stages,V those shown in Fig. 2, produce a series or pulses each time the key l is closed. A single pulse is sent over conductor 63 to key number 1 in the keyboard 2S a single pulse is also sent over conductor Bil but occuring at a diiferent time than the rst pulse; a double pulse (Fig. 6 6) is sent over conductor 8l to keys number four and live; a triple pulse is sent over conductor ad to keys number six and seven; and four pulses are sent over conductor 9d to keys number eight and nine.

The bank of nine keys in the keyboard 28 are arranged so that the depression of an even numbered key will send one, two, three or four pulses to an amplier stage 34 which in turn sends the pulses over a conductor 13 to all the stages of the radiX-of-ve accumulator, A-D to A-S. When an odd numbered key is depressed the same pulses Ll O are sent to the radixeofdive accumulator and vin addition a single pulse is sent to the radixof-two accumulator which comprises a double triode tube A-l.

The amplifier stage 34 is normally adjusted with its control electrodes below the conducting point so that only positive pulses will cause conduction in the anode circuit. A negative pulse has no effect on the tube conductivity. The leithand side of stage 34 receives a pulse whenever an even designated key is depressed, the righthand side is pulsed Whenever the one key is depressed, and both sides are pulsed whenever the 3, 5, 7, or 9 keys are depressed.

The odd or right-hand section of stage 34 has its output connected to trigger stage A-i which is normally conducting on the left hand side. A positive pulse transmitted over conductor produces a negative pulse in anode conductor Sl and actuates stage A*l, transferring the con-V ducting path within the tube to the right-hand side. This lowers the potential of conductors G8 and lll and delivers arnegative pulse to the control electrode of tube 'l2 in an amplier stage T. Stage 7| acts as a buffer amplifier and inverter, the anode being connected directly to conductor T3 which in turn is connected to all the right-hand control electrodes of a series of ve trigger stages. These five stages represent the radix-of-five accumulator and record the even numbered digits in the decimal system. They are designated A-il, A2, A-4, A-G, and A-S to indicate the values handled by them. The A-Q stage has part of its output connected to the left-hand control electrode of the A-- stage; the output of the A-2 stage is connected to the left-hand control electrode of the A-d stage; the A-rl and A-5 stages being similarly connected, and the A-8 stage output connected back to the control electrode of the A-l stage.

Each of the nve stages, A- to AB, inclusive, has the output of its left-hand section connected to one terminal of two neon indicator lamps in the indicator bank 31. The other terminals of the lamps are connected by conductors 'iiand 'i5 to rectifier elements i6 and 71 and thence to the two anodes in stage A-L Rectiiier elements 'i6 and 'Il may be diodes in which case no further circuit connections are necessary. However, to save space and cost crystal rectiers of the germanium type are used and these permit a small back current to flow. To keep this current from lighting any of the indicator lamps, large resistors Ifile and irli are connected between the rectiers and ground.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that current which lights the indicator lamps flows from one of the two anodes in the radix-of-two counter, through any one of the ten lamps, then to one of the five anodes in the radiX-of-five counter. The back flow of current could be blocked equally well by the use of ve rectiiiers in the connections to the radiX-of-iive counter and in this case nve resistors would be connected between the rectiers and ground.

A zeroize or normalizing key 'i8 is included in series with one of the cathode conductors Bil so that its opening will insert a resistance 9i in series with all the cathodes that normally should be non-conducting.

Operation In order to describe the operation, let it rst be -assumed that the circuit is in its normal or quiescent state and that no numbers have been enteredinto either of the two counters. Stages A--|, A-2, Av-4, A-6, and A-8 are all conducting on the left-hand side, and the A-- stage is conducting on the right-hand side. Neon indicator lamp 19 is then lighted because one of its conductors 81 leads to the anode in stage A-U which is at high potential and the other conductor 14 leads through rectifier 16 to the anode of stage A--| which is at low potential. On some of the indicator lamps 3, 5, 1, and 9, a difference of potential would exist under the above conditions except for the rectifiers 16 and 11 which block all currents flowing from the A--l stage to the lamps. One of these blocked circuits can be traced from the right-hand anode of stage A--I which is at high potential, over conductor 60, through rectier 11, over conductor 15 to lamp number 3, through the lamp and then over conductor |02 to the left-hand anode of stage A-2 which is at low potential.

Now assume that the number 4 key in the key- .board 28 be depressed, joining conductor 65 with conductor 8|. Then the start key |0 is closed and the unbalanced trigger stage l2 produces a pulse (Fig. G-b) which controls the switching stage I3 and the buffer amplifier stage 2|.

The application of a pulse to tube 41 turns on the multivibrator and produces a series of pulses; one, two, three and four pulses as shown by Fig. G-z' to Fig. G-m, inclusive. The depression of number 4 key provides a path-from stage 22, which transmits a double pulse, to the even side of stage 34 over conductors 8| and 65. Stage 34 differentiates the pulses and changes the broad flat topped waves (Fig. 6-e) to sharp pulses (Fig. 6c which are applied to all the radixof-ve stages by way of conductor 13. The first of the two sharp pulses is applied to the righthand control electrode of all ve tubes A-0 to A-8 but only the A-0 tube is affected since it is the only tube conducting on the right. The rst pulse causes stage A-0 to change conduction to the left-hand anode and in doing so a pulse is sent over conductor 86 to the left-hand control electrode of the A-2 which causes it to be actuated, shifting the conduction to the righthand side. When the second pulse arrives at the counter stages by way of conductor 13, the A-0 stage is conducting on the left and the A-2 stage is conducting on the right, hence only the A-2 stage is affected. Its conductance is transferred to the left and in the transfer a pulse is sent to the A-4 stage which actuates it and changes the conductance to the right-hand anode. Hence, at the end of the double pulse only the A-4 stage is conducting on the right. This condition causes the number 4 neon indicator lamp to light since one of its conductors 90 leads to the left-hand anode of stage A-4 which is now at high potential while the other conductor 14 leads to the lefthand anode of stage A-| which is at low potential.

If the number five key had been depressed instead of the number four key, the action would have been the same as far as the A-0 to A- stages are concerned, but in addition a connection would have been made between conductor 63 and conductor 66 and a single pulse, transmitted from the left-hand side of tube 50, is applied to the right-hand control .electrode of stage 34 and this pulse is amplied and sent to stage A| by conductor 61. Stage A| is thereby actuated and the conductance transferred to the righthand anode reducing it to low potential.

Indicator lamp number will now be lighted because the potential change in the A-| stage has transferred the low potential value from con- .ductor 14 to conductor 15.

After the finish of the pulsing cycle the counter stages 35 and the indicator lamps remain in their operated condition so that they may be ready for additional pulses or until the result may be copied or transferred to another part of the calculator system. When it is desired to normalize the system and return the counter stages to zero condition, the switch 18 is opened. When this is done, a resistance 9| is placed in series with conductor which connects with all the cathodes that are non-conducting when the device reads zero. If the cathodes are in a conducting condition, the added resistance causes a potential drop in the cathode supply line which reduces the potential difference between the cathode and the control electrode to a value where the anode current is completely cut off. The same action increases the voltage of the control electrode in the non-conducting half of the stage until it reaches the conducting state.

Referring now to Fig. 5, an alternate system of indicating lamps is shown in cooperation with the same system of counter stages as was shown in Fig. 3. A bank of ten lamps |03, designated from 0 to 9 is arranged with one terminal from each lamp connected to a common conductor |04' which runs to the 75 voit tap on the direct current power supply. The other terminals on the lamps are each connected to the mid-point of a voltage divider composed of two resistors |05 and |06. The end points of each of the ten voltage dividers are -connected to anodes in the A-| stage and A0 to A-B stages. The even designated positions 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 have one resistor |05 connected to conductor 68 which leads to the right-hand anode of the A--I stage. All the odd positions have one resistor |05 connected to conductor 14 which leads to the left-hand anode of stage A-I. The other resistors IDS-0 to |06--9 are connected to the left-hand anodes in the radix-of-ve counter.

The circuit is arranged so that when an anode is non-conducting, the voltage at the anode is 160 volts. When the anode is conducting, the Voltage drops to 60 volts. When these voltages are measured with respect to a 75 volt line, such as conductor |04, the values become -15 and 85 volts.

A voltage divider |05, |06 connected between two anodes that are in the conducting condition will obviously make one terminal of the indicator lamp |01 -15 volts and the lamp will not be lighted. If one of the anodes is made non-conducting, the center point of the voltage divider will assume a voltage which is the average value between -15 and 85 or 35 volts. The indicator lamp will not light because the breakdown potential of commercial neon discharge lamps is approximately '75 volts. If both ends of the voltage divider are connected to non-conducting anodes, the ends and the center point all are at the same potential, volts, and the indicator lamp will be other resistor IG-- is connected to the nonconducting anode of stage A--0- All the odd numbered lamps except l are connected to anod'es, both of which arev at their low potential, and the lamps l, 2, G, E, and 8` are connected to auodes, one of which is at high .potential and one of which is at low potential. These lamps are not lighted.

Let it be assumed now that a double pulse has been transmitted to the counter to indicate the value of four'. As explained above, the first three stages in the radiX-of-ve counter will be actu ated, resulting in the A-G and A-2- stages conducting on the left and the A-4 stage conducting on the right. rI'hen the number four lamp IGS will be lighted because resistor iil54 is connected to the non-conducting anode in stage A-l and the resistor Hit-' is connected to the nonconducting anode in stage A-4. Both these' anodes are at high potential and provide; the necessary voltage to ionize the lamp.

If a one is to be added to the four in the counter, a single pulse is sent to the radix-cfr two stage A-I, and its conductance will be changed to the right-hand anode. This will extinguish the number four lamp since the high potential on resistor it-4 has been reduced to a low potential. The number iive lamp will be lighted since both ends of the associated. voltage divider are connected to non-conducting anodes.

From the above description, it willbe evident that the series of indicator lamps, when connected to the counter stages in the manner disclosed, will give a true indication of the Value of the amounts in the counter.

While there have been described and illus'- trated, specic embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious that various changes and modications may be made therein without departing from the field of the invention which should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims;

What is claimed is:

1. A gaseous discharge lamp indicator for inn dicating digit values in an electronic accumulator having a radiX-of-five counter and a radix-oftwo counter, comprising; a series of ten diode gaseous discharge lamps; a series of ten voltage dividers for supplying the lamp indicators with current;

lamp indicators; electrical connections between the mid-point of each voltage divider and the other electrode of each of the lamp indicators; electrical supply circuits for the' terminals of the voltage dividers which include, a connection between one terminal of the radix-of-two counter and one terminal ofhali of the voltage. dividers, a` connection between ai second terminal of the radixof-two counter and one terminal of the other half ofV the voltage dividers, and a connect'ion from eachstage in the radix-o-ve counter to two voltage dividers.

2. A gaseous discharge lamp indicator for indicating digit values in an electronicaccumulator having a radix-of-five counter and a` radix-oftwo counter, comprising; a series of' ten diode gaseous discharge lamps, each designated byY a.

digit from zero to nine; series of ten voltage dividers, each designated by a digit from zero to nine, for supplying the lamp indicators with current; an electrical connection between a source of potential and one electrode of all the lamp indicators; electrical connections between the mid-point of each voltage divider and the other electrode of the like designated lamp indicator; electrical supply circuits for the terminals of the an electrical connection betweenV source of potential and one electrode of all the voltage dividers which include, a connection between one terminal of the radix-of-two counter and one terminal of. all the even designated voltage dividers, a connection between a second terminal of the radix-o'f-two counter and one terminal of all the odd designated voltage dividers, and a connection from each stage in the radixof -ve counter to two Voltage dividers.

3. A gaseous discharge lamp indicator for indicating digit values in an electric accumulator having a radix-of-five counter and a radix-oftwo counter, comprising; a series of ten diode gaseous discharge lamps, each designated by a digit from zero to nine; a series of ten voltage dividers, each designated by a digit from Zero to nine, for supplying the lamp indicators with current; an electrical connection between a source of potential and one electrode of all the lamp indicators; electrical connections between the mid-point of each voltage divider and the other electrode of the like designated lamp indicator; electrical supply circuits for the tern minals of the voltage dividers which include, al

connection between one terminal of the radix-of-y two counter and one terminal of all the even designated voltage dividers, a connection between a second terminal of the radiX-of-two counter and one terminal of all the odd designated voltage dividers, and a connection from each stage inthe radixof-ve counter to two voltage dividers, one of the voltage dividers having a designation the same as the connected stage and the other voltage divider having a designation the same as the stage plus one.

4. A- gaseous discharge lamp indicator for indicating digit values in an electric accumulator having a radiX-of-ve counter and a radix-oftwo counter, comprising; a series oi ten diode gaseous discharge lamps, each including two u,electrodes andV each designatedV by a digit from Zero to nine; a series of ten voltage dividers, each designated by a digit from Zero to nine, for supplying the lamp indicators with current, an electrical connection between a source of potential connected with the accumulator and one electrode of all the lamp indicators; electrical connections between the mid-point of each voltage divider and the other electrode of the like designated lamp indicator; electrical supply circuits for the terminals of the voltage dividers which include, a connection between one terminal of the radixof-two counter and one terminal of all the even designated voltage dividers, a connection between a second terminal of the' radiX-of-two counter and one terminal of al1 the odd-designated voltage dividers, and a connection from each stage REFERNCES ITEI Y'he following references are of record in the JleV of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,179,101 Ready Nov. '7, 1939 2,310,105 Michel Y Feb. 2, 1943 2,407,320 Mller Sept. l0, 1946 2,436,963 GrosdorV Y v Mar. 2,1948 2,485,825 Gl'sdoff 1 .Y 00H25, 1949 

